Let’s say you’ve just bought a doll that doesn’t have commercial patterns made for it because it’s sort of an unusual, rare, vintage, or foreign-made doll. How do you know what size sewing patterns to buy for your doll?

That’s the topic of today’s blog post. Stick with me to the very end, please, and you’ll learn a lot about how to locate the sewing patterns you’re looking for! — Some are even FREE!

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

The doll shown above is a Momoko doll. She’s made and sold in Japan, and is therefore difficult to buy here in the United States, where I live.

Here on my website, I do have a gallery of doll clothes patterns that I’ve designed to fit her, but when I first bought her, there were absolutely no patterns available for Momoko dolls in my country.

Yes, I could buy Japanese sewing patterns for Momoko online, but the instructions would have been written in Japanese. So that’s not very helpful — although there are translation apps you can buy now that will help you translate instructions by taking a photo of them with your phone. (Technology is amazing these days, isn’t it?!)

You can see that I’ve designed several patterns to fit my Momoko doll. So how did I manage to do that?

I started by taking her measurements. That’s the first step in pattern alteration.

Next, I compared these measurements to other dolls, like Mattel’s Barbie, for whom I already owned patterns, to see if at least some of their measurements were within a centimeter or so, in terms of variations.

Once I determined that the two dolls were similar in many of their measurements, then I used a Barbie pattern to begin the process of alteration. So this Momoko dress pattern…

…is actually an alteration of a very similar pattern that I had already designed for Barbie.

Can you see the similarities?

Pattern alteration is a skill that starts with measurement and takes it one step further, to design your own patterns, using patterns you already own. Now please bear with me as I insert a plug for the classes I teach right here, but then we’ll get back to the initial question, “How do I know what sized doll clothes patterns to buy?”

For anyone who would like to learn how to alter their doll clothes patterns, you should really check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course on Creative Spark, the C&T Publishing website’s online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.

 

For any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to follow a schedule. Just sign up when you’re ready. It’s a one-time fee for the course, and there’s no specific time limit to finish your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you. So go check out my paid courses on Creative Spark, using this link.

But I digress… The question we’re answering today is “How do I know what sized doll clothes patterns to buy?”

Typically we base our purchase on the height of the doll first and foremost. Get out a ruler or tape measure and determine how tall your doll is. That’s the first step.

For some foreign dolls (outside the US), you may find their measurements are commonly found online (and on their box) in centimeters or millimeters. If you’re buying your patterns in the United States, you will then have to convert the metric measurements to imperial (inches).

Once you’ve measured your doll, seek patterns for dolls in the same height range with a similar body type.

So for example, Momoko is a ten-inch doll. But which of these dolls that are in that 10 to 11 inch size range has a similar body type?

When standing next to (left to right) a Queens of Africa doll, Disney Princess 11.5 inch doll, Mattel’s petite Barbie, and Mattel’s vintage Barbie, I think her body type and height are closest to my modern Petite Barbie.

And in truth, Momoko can swap clothes with Petite Barbie dolls, as can Skipper. So although I used my re-sizing formula to alter my vintage Barbie wedding dress to fit Momoko, I would have been wiser to have used some of my Skipper/Petite Barbie patterns to begin my alterations for Momoko.

Unfortunately, when I started altering patterns to fit Momoko, I didn’t own any Petite Barbie dolls (they hadn’t been invented yet), and I didn’t discover that she and Skipper were compatible until much later.

Liv Doll (pictured on the left) body proportions are actually quite close to Momoko‘s proportions as well. My Chelly Wood doll is actually a Spin Master Liv Doll that has been repainted and re-wigged.

But there are very few patterns out there for Liv Dolls (aside from the ones on my own website), so as far as “purchasing” commercially-made patterns for Momoko, I would have had to stick with Skipper patterns, since Liv Doll patterns just aren’t anywhere to be found (besides here).

So if you’re looking for patterns for an unusual, rare, vintage, or foreign-made doll, you really only have three options…

1. You can find the patterns here, on my website (if they’re available)
2. You can take my class on pattern alteration and simply alter patterns that belong to another doll that’s comparable in size
3. You can go to a thrift store with a tape measure, take multiple measurements of similar dolls that are available there, and buy commercial patterns that fit a compatible doll

But for that last one, you may discover that the owners of the thrift store may take offense to you man-handling their dolls before buying them! 😂

Well if you happened across my blog post because you’re looking for sewing patterns that will fit a rare or unusual doll, hopefully I’ve given you some food for thought!

If you’re new to my website, and you’re not sure how to find my free patterns, this navigation tutorial video is designed to help you. I think you’ll find that there are literally hundreds of free, printable PDF sewing patterns for various dolls on my website, and I’ve recently begun adding patterns in A4 format as well (for people in the UK and other countries, where A4 printer paper is used).

To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with the pattern company or companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly finds inspiration in the doll clothes designed by these pattern companies. To purchase patterns from Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue, or other pattern companies shown and discussed in this blog post, please click on the links provided here. These links below the “Disclaimer” section do not help raise money for this free pattern website; they are only offered to give credit to the company that made these patterns.